Loading Sequence Initiated

Let’s just get through this floor first.

Nathan started walking, taking point.

He didn’t even need the map.

There was only one route.

Forward.

Meru fell into step beside him. Kieran and Zam followed behind.

It was a strange formation for them.

“Cal,” Nathan said. “I don’t think I’ll need the map, but if you notice any traps I’m not avoiding, let me know.”

“Okay,” Cal said cheerfully.

“Floor fifty,” Zam said. “You really think this is the last one?”

“Yeah,” Nathan said absently.

He was more excited about the mana core than the idea of an end.

Mana.
Maybe I’ll be able to use it now.
I can hope.

“Won’t you tell me now?” Meru asked.

Nathan glanced at him.

“What would you like explained first?”

Meru hummed softly, as if the question pleased him. “Why you are certain, and why Asset doesn’t doubt it.”

“About the last floor?”

“Yes.”

Nathan knew why Kieran hadn’t hesitated. He’d been right about the tutorial dungeon.

That had been enough.

“Instinct,” Nathan replied.

“That’s not an explanation.”

Nathan shrugged. “Just feels like it.”

Kieran added, “He’s been right about this before.”

“I see,” Meru said. “So you don’t know why you’re right. Only that you are.”

Nathan slowed half a step.

How do I explain game logic?
What did I say to Kieran?
Meh. Just get him talking about the mana core.

“The biggest giveaway is the mana core,” he said finally, glancing toward Meru.

Meru waited.

“First of all, the notification says it’s on this floor,” Nathan said. “That feels like a reward. Like an end.”

“Hm,” Meru said thoughtfully. “Sounds inconclusive to me. Could be a significant floor, not the end.”

“Well, what do you know about mana cores?”

“They’re fragments that contain a mana current.”

Current?

That piqued Nathan’s interest.

“Fragments of what?”

“A mana core is just a fragment carrying a current,” Meru said. “The name is misleading.”

“Have you collected a mana core before?”

“Sure,” Meru said, sounding bored. “There are much more exciting mana items than cores.”

“There are?” Nathan exclaimed. “Why haven’t you said that?”

“Why would I?”

Nathan shook his head.

Right. Not like I asked him.

“What about dungeon cores?”

“I’m not familiar with dungeon cores.”

“What happens when you complete a dungeon?”

“You defeat the final floor, and a portal appears.”

So, that’s the same.

“I see.”

“You sound disappointed,” Meru mused.

“No, I just thought it might be different.”

“Why are you interested in mana cores?”

Nathan hesitated for a moment.

Can’t think of a reason why not to tell him.

“I can use mana,” Nathan said steadily. “I just need to charge up and hope I’m allowed to actually use it.”

“I don’t understand. Allowed?” Meru asked. “I haven’t sensed more than a smidge of mana from you.”

“It’s a long story. I know I have some left over. Just a tiny bit. I’m hoping this core lets me access it.”

Meru was quiet for a moment.

“I’m still not sure what you mean,” he said, “but I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”

“Why not?” Nathan huffed.

He stopped suddenly.

“You aren’t a mage,” Meru said, stopping as well. “Asset may be able to utilize this core, but…”

Meru looked him up and down.

“But what?”

“Never mind what I said. You are living up to your nickname, Variable.”

He started walking again. Nathan followed.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning,” Meru said lightly, “I’m excited to get this core and see what happens.”

Nathan sighed.

This has not been an encouraging conversation.

“Though,” Meru added, still sounding bored, “there are better ways to acquire mana items.”

Nathan glanced at him. “What?”

“Well, money. And easier yet, couldn’t you enter the M.C. Tourney?”

“The what now?”

“Only one of the most prestigious events, where parties compete for glory and status,” Zam said. “You really don’t know?”

“Apparently not. Why do you people only mention important things when it’s inconvenient?”

“It’s annual, the Meritorious Champion’s Tournament,” Zam said. “Peacetime event only, a’course. Been running ever since the Scourge was pushed back.”

“You’re welcome for my Hero Party’s sacrifices,” Meru interjected.

Zam quickly added in a hurried shout, “Of course, yes, very thankful. You are a hero, Meru, and the rest of your party. Thank you for your service.”

“Hush, Noise,” Meru said quietly.

Nathan thought he might have looked a little embarrassed at Zam’s thankful outburst.

He still hasn’t told me about the Scourge. Not like we’ve had much time for war stories the last few days.

“Annual?” Nathan frowned. “Then why didn’t you—”

“I don’t form parties for sport,” Meru said. “And it sounded boring.”

Of course it did.

“I couldn’t have qualified,” Zam said weakly. “I’m too low tier. Only Steel and above can enter. More importantly, I didn't even have a party.”

Nathan slowed. “Steel tier?”

Zam nodded. “Steel tier rank or higher.”

Nathan mulled it over. “Oh. Right. Yeah. The next tier after bronze.”

“How could you forget a thing like that?” Zam sounded appalled.

“Had other things on my mind,” Nathan said.

“You do tend to prioritize selectively and privately,” Meru said.

“What are you saying?” Nathan asked.

“You think too much.”

“I…” Nathan couldn’t actually retort, because Meru wasn’t wrong. “I’m a planner.”

“No, he’s correct. You think loud,” Kieran said.

“Oh,” Meru said mildly. “He speaks.”

“I wasn’t sure you were even paying attention,” Nathan teased.

“I am always aware of my surroundings.”

Nathan laughed. He couldn’t help it when Kieran spoke seriously like that and meant every word.

“I suppose so.”

“Does anyone—” Kieran started to say something.

Nathan missed the rest of it.

For a second, something tugged at his attention. A scent.

Sweet.
Like… flowers.

Huh.

The world tilted slightly.

Nathan slowed, then stopped. He closed his eyes and took a breath.

Then opened his eyes.

Kieran and Zam were ahead of him.

In front.

When the hell did they get there?

I didn’t see them move.
I definitely didn’t see them move.

A step scuffed behind him.

“You all right?” Meru asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Nathan said, forcing himself to move again.

“If this is the final floor,” Zam went on, “why hasn’t anything happened yet?”

He’s right. We’ve been walking for a while.

“Good question,” Nathan said. “Cal, any traps?”

“None!” Cal replied promptly. “Everything looks clear.”

“Strange,” Kieran said. “Perhaps this is not the final floor after all.”

Nathan snorted. “You were sure two minutes ago.”

“It’s possible to reassess,” Kieran said calmly. “You might be mistaken.”

Nathan frowned.
Mistaken.

“You think this is another loop floor?” Zam asked. “I really didn’t enjoy the last one.”

“No one did,” Meru said mildly. “Though I suppose it could explain the pacing.”

“How could we even tell?” Nathan asked. “This corridor hasn’t changed. No side chambers. No turns.”

He pulled up the map.

“What the—”

Then stopped.

“This can't be good,” Nathan said, trying to zoom the screen out.

“What is it?” Kieran asked, sharper than before.

The others slowed and halted.

“It’s… fogged over,” Nathan said. “All of it.”

Meru leaned in just enough to glance at the screen.
A soft chuckle followed.

“I see my Variable is hard at work again.”

Nathan’s stomach dipped.

My Variable?
Nope.

“I know,” Nathan said, irritation creeping in. “Maybe it’s part of the floor challenge?”

“You never know,” Meru murmured, brushing by him as he went.

“Or it’s nothing,” Kieran said, already walking again. “Standing here won’t fix it.”

Nathan looked ahead. Then back.

The corridor stretched on, identical in both directions.

This feels off.

“Could be another mind-control monster,” Nathan muttered. “Like floor twelve.”

Zam’s voice drifted back from ahead of him. “That was the worst.”

Nathan glanced toward the others.

They were farther ahead again.

“Sure,” he muttered. “Just leave me here.”

He hurried to catch up.

“Cal,” he said under his breath. “You’re not seeing anything weird, right?”

There was a pause.

“There is nothing,” Cal said. “Everything is fine!”

“O-okay.”

Nathan didn’t slow, but the unease settled deeper.

He caught up and fell into step behind the others.

No one spoke.

***

Minutes passed, then what seemed like half an hour.

The map was still foggy.

Nathan couldn’t remember when anyone had last spoken.

Cal hadn’t filled the quiet. Not once.

Nathan cleared his throat.

“Maybe the plan is to walk us to death,” he said, mostly to break the silence.

Zam shifted, still ahead. “I don’t like it,” he said. “Nothing’s happening.”

Kieran didn’t turn. Meru didn’t comment.

Nathan tried again. “Doesn’t this seem suspicious?”

Kieran clicked his tongue, but didn’t slow.

Nathan frowned.

What’s his problem?

Meru hummed softly, unreadable.

Cal said, after a moment, “Everything is still normal.”

“That is—what exactly is normal about this?”

“You are going the right direction,” Cal said cheerfully.

Nope. Not helpful.
Very wrong.

Nathan glanced toward Zam who was unusually quiet.

Zam’s shoulders were tight, steps more hurried.

What in the fuck is going on right now?

Nathan thought he heard whispers he couldn’t make out.

He whipped his head around.

Nothing behind them.

Only the others ahead of him. None of them had reacted.

Am I being paranoid?
No.
Something's off.

“Did anyone hear that?” he asked lightly.

Kieran didn’t look back. His pace didn’t change.

Nathan frowned. “Seriously. Did you not hear anything?”

“No,” Kieran said.

Nathan’s jaw tightened. “Cal?”

“Yes?”

Nathan hesitated. “Nothing. Never mind.”

“You’re exhausted,” Meru said. “That tends to color perception.”

Nathan didn’t slow. “Or something is wrong, and you’re not noticing it.”

"I just want to fight something," Zam said.

“If I didn’t hear anything,” Nathan ignored Zam, “doesn’t that mean it’s too quiet?”

Their boots echoed loudly in the corridor.

“Quiet is good,” Kieran said at last. “Means nothing’s chasing us.”

Nathan snapped, “When has that ever been true?”

Kieran glanced back. His expression gave nothing away.

“Then what’s your suggestion?” he asked. “We turn around?”

“Yes,” Nathan said immediately. “We go back. We retrace our steps. We missed something.”

Kieran shook his head. “That wastes time.”

“Walking in a straight line forever wastes time too.”

Meru laughed softly. “I admire your confidence,” he said. “But if there were something wrong, I’d feel it.”

“That’s the problem,” Nathan said, passing him. “You aren’t feeling it.”

Kieran turned forward without answering.

Zam followed close behind Kieran.

“Hey,” Nathan called, reaching out. “We should talk this through.”

He glanced back toward Meru. “Right? We should talk.”

Meru drifted a few paces behind, staff loose in one hand.

Nathan was still mid-stride when Meru exhaled, almost amused. “There’s nothing wrong.”

He raised his staff.

“Meru what—DUCK—” Nathan yelled.

“Inferno.”

Fire roared down the corridor in a screaming arc. Stone blackened and cracked as heat rolled outward. Nathan threw himself aside, pain blooming across his forearms as the air warped and buckled around him.

The blast died.

Silence rushed in.

The corridor stood empty and charred.
No enemies.
No movement.

Nathan was on his feet in an instant. He crossed the distance and grabbed Meru by the collar.

“What the hell were you thinking?”

Meru hummed, unbothered. “See?”

Nathan stared at him. “You could’ve hit someone.”

“You worry too much,” Meru said mildly.

“Unbelievable.” Nathan released him with a sharp shove and turned away.

Kieran and Zam were getting back to their feet.

Zam brushed at his sleeve, still blinking.

“You both alright?” Nathan asked.

Kieran nodded once. “Fine.”

He turned back down the corridor.

Zam glanced at Nathan once and followed without a word.

“You're just going to keep going?” Nathan stared at Kieran's back. “Fucking seriously?”

Meru smirked at Nathan as he passed him. “I proved my point. Nothing there.”

“That’s not the point!”

“The point,” Kieran called back, “is that we keep moving.”

Nathan swore under his breath and fell into step behind them.

“This is nuts,” he muttered. “Cal. Talk to me.”

“Everything is proceeding normally,” Cal said. “You are making good progress.”

“In no world is this normal,” Nathan said. “Any idea why everyone seems to be acting strangely?”

“They are behaving consistently with previous decisions,” Cal replied.

“The fuck they are,” Nathan said. “It’s not just them.”

“Your perception has deviated from baseline,” Cal said at last.

“Baseline? Since when do you talk like that?” Nathan snapped.

“If you allowed mind synchronization,” Cal continued, “I could evaluate the situation more accurately.”

“What happened to our boundaries?”

“It would help,” Cal insisted. “You are under stress.”

“That’s not your call.”

“A mind synch—”

Nathan’s free hand curled into a fist, the other tightened on the hilt of his sword.

“You know what?” he said, voice shaking. “Just shut it for now.”

“As you wish,” Cal replied.

Nathan swallowed.

Cal never said it like that.

He waited for something.

A correction.
A joke.
Anything.

Nothing came.

The others kept moving.

Nathan followed, because stopping felt worse.

He stayed at the rear.

The corridor didn’t change. Neither did the pace.

Time stretched.
Slipped.
Lost its edges.

Nathan couldn’t tell how long they’d been walking anymore.

“Ahead!” Kieran shouted. “Contact.”

The word hit like a snap of a wire.

Nathan’s sword was up before he realized he’d moved, muscles tightening on instinct. His pulse spiked, breath catching as he scanned the corridor ahead.

Shapes emerged ahead.

Three of them.
Humanoid.
Plate armor.

Nathan tilted his head.

Knights?
Really?

No notification appeared.
No enemy description.

There had to be a catch.

“Cal,” Nathan said carefully, “you’ve got a description? A level on these guys?”

“I do not have that information,” Cal replied.

“What?”

Then his stomach dropped.

Kieran charged, blade raised, augment only.

Meru lifted his staff. “Straight shot.”

Zam bolted forward, cutting directly across Meru’s line of fire and narrowly sidestepping the blast as it tore past him.

Nathan flinched.

He stared. “What in the cluster-noob-fuck is going on?”

They had been tight.
Precise.
Reading each other without words.

For dozens of floors.

This wasn’t bad luck.
This wasn’t panic.
This was amateur hour.

What made it worse was that it shouldn’t have mattered.

All three of them landed solid hits. Two of the knights took clean blows.

None of them went down.

It didn’t make sense.

This should have been easy.

One hit.
Done.

Especially with their track record.

Kieran and Zam were locked in sword fights now while Meru just kept releasing attacks.

Kieran’s blade bit deep into an armor joint. Then the sword slid free.

The knight didn’t slow.
Didn’t even react.

It kept swinging.

“Sir,” Nathan yelled. “There has to be a better strategy.”

“Stop talking,” Kieran snapped. “And fight.”

“Fuck.” Nathan lunged toward Zam’s opponent, blade flashing.

Meru unleashed another spell, wild and unfocused. Fire tore through the corridor, forcing Nathan to duck as heat scorched past him.

“Meru!” Nathan shouted. “You’ll hit us!”

“I’ll hit them,” Meru said, already casting again.

“You are executing well,” Cal said. “Deviations have been minimal.”

Nathan tried not to think about how none of it made sense.

He ducked under Zam’s wild swing, parried, sidestepped, and drove his blade up beneath the knight’s helmet.

The head came free.

The body crumpled and vanished as it hit the stone.

No notification.
No glowing loot.

Nathan and Zam locked eyes.

“Head!” they shouted in unison.

“Aim for the gap under the helmet,” Nathan specified.

Kieran moved.

He stepped inside the knight’s reach and found the gap. He sliced through it.

The head popped off.

The last knight turned, raising its weapon just as Meru loosed another spell. Kieran twisted aside and closed the distance in a single step.

He took it down.

Meru’s spell detonated harmlessly against the far wall a heartbeat later.

Kieran didn’t look back.

"That worked out," Nathan said.

He smiled.

“You were late,” Kieran said flatly.

Nathan's smile died. "You shouldn't have even needed me."

"You should pull your weight without being ordered."

“Pull my weight?” Nathan repeated. “You all were a mess! What even was that?”

“You’ve lost your edge,” Kieran said, and turned away.

“My edge?” Nathan spluttered. “What?”

“You’re weak.”

Nathan’s eye twitched, and he pointed his finger at Kieran. “Who the fuck—”

The wall to Nathan’s left exploded.

A long, segmented body forced its way out. It had a basilisk’s heavy skull and a centipede’s body, thick forelimbs ending in hooked pincers that bit into the floor to drag itself forward.

Then another tore free of the wall.

And another.

“Shit,” Nathan breathed.

Everyone jumped back.

“Don’t just randomly attack this time,” Nathan said.

Zam was already sprinting left.

A fireball erupted.

Kieran was already hacking at one.

“Fuck me,” Nathan groaned.

He was on the defensive now, backpedaling as he searched for an opening.

Alone.

Again.

A wall behind them exploded.

“Company at the rear!” he yelled.

No response.

“We’re getting boxed in,” Nathan said, breath coming fast now.

One of the creatures dragged itself toward him, split tongue tasting the air.

Its head shot forward, fangs bared.

Nathan dodged, unprepared for its reach, and drove his blade toward its eye.

The creature recoiled.

Nathan sprinted for Zam—
a monster surging up behind him.

He wouldn’t reach him in time.

“Zam!”

One of the creature’s pincers came down in a single, brutal sweep.

There was a wet sound. A tearing crack under strain.

Zam went down.

His sword struck the stone first, skidding from his grip as he pitched forward. He hit hard, limbs scraping uselessly against the floor.

Nathan grabbed Zam by the wrist and yanked him sideways just as a creature struck where Zam had been.

“Sir! Meru!” he shouted, voice breaking. “Cover us—please!”

A fireball slammed into the side of the creature’s head, tearing its attention away.

Nathan didn’t hesitate. His boots slipped as he dragged Zam behind a spill of broken stone where part of the wall had shattered. He hauled him just far enough, then propped him clumsily against the rubble.

“Zam,” he said, breath tearing out of his chest.

Blood.

So much blood.

Nathan looked down.

Zam’s right leg was gone.

Taken clean at the knee.

Nathan’s vision tunneled.

Nope.

“Retrieve Trunk One,” he said sharply.

Nothing happened.

“Fuck—no. I—I’ll find something. Hang on.” He tore at his shirt, hands shaking.

Zam made a small, confused sound.

“Huh?”

He followed Nathan’s gaze.

His breath hitched. Once. Twice.

Then he screamed.

Not a shout. Not a cry.

A raw, broken sound ripped out of him as his body folded, hands clutching at the cloth Nathan now had pressed against the stump.

Nathan’s grip tightened, fingers slick with blood.

“My belt,” he said, fumbling at his waist with one hand.

Zam’s eyes rolled, unfocused. His breath came in short, panicked gasps that rattled in his chest. His fingers clawed weakly at Nathan’s sleeve.

Nathan wrenched the belt free and cinched it tight around the stump.

Zam went limp.

“No—no,” Nathan said, voice breaking. “Zam. Zam, stay with me.”

He kept one hand pressed hard over the torn shirt piece, even as blood continued to force its way through.

“F-fire,” he choked.

Nathan swallowed hard, hands shaking so badly he could barely keep the pressure where it mattered.

My sword. Where is it?

He could see it a few feet away, but he couldn’t lift his hand. Couldn’t risk it. Blood was still forcing its way through the cloth no matter how hard he pressed.

Footsteps crunched over broken stone.

Meru stepped into view at the edge of the rubble.

“Fire,” Nathan said hoarsely. “Meru—fire, now.”

Meru stopped.

He took in the scene in a single glance.

Then he lowered his staff.

“He’s done,” Meru said calmly.

The words slid past Nathan at first, meaningless noise in a head gone loud and hollow.

"What?"

“Leave him,” Meru said.

“We stop the bleeding,” Nathan snapped. “We carry him.”

A creature surged toward the rubble.

Meru turned, staff lifting.

Kieran appeared and cut it down in a single motion. The body collapsed and vanished as he stepped forward.

He stopped just in front of Meru.

Then he looked down.

At Zam.

“We move,” Kieran said.

Nathan stared at him.

Kieran lifted his gaze.

Met Nathan’s eyes.

Not angry.
Not conflicted.

Assessing.

“Agreed,” Meru said. “We move on, before more come.”

“What the hell are you saying?” Nathan snapped.

“More are coming,” Kieran said. “If we stay, we die.”

“That’s not a choice.”

“You don’t get to decide that,” Kieran said. “You’re compromised.”

Compromised. Me?

Nathan almost choked on a laugh that lodged in his throat and wouldn’t come out.

Insanity.

“This isn’t you,” Nathan said. “You would never—”

“You know he’s fake,” Kieran cut in. “You’ve said so yourself. He isn’t even a real person.”

Nathan stilled.

The words rang in his ears, cold and precise, like something honed just for this moment.

Fake.

NPC.

Nathan looked at Zam.

At the blood soaking into the floor.
At his pale face.

Fake?

Even if that were true, it didn't matter.

Zam had laughed with them.
Fought beside them.
Watched their back.

Nathan trusted him.

At some point, without realizing it, Nathan had stopped seeing Zam as not real.

Zam was just Zam.

And right now, he needed help.

“That doesn’t matter,” Nathan said, fury burning up through the shock. “He’s my friend.”

Meru stepped closer. “Attachment is inefficient,” he said. “He’s only dragging you down.”

The ground rumbled.

Heavy.
Relentless.

The monsters were coming.

Kieran stepped closer.

For a split second, Nathan worried what Kieran might do to Zam.

His gaze flicked to his sword.

Kieran adjusted his grip on his hilt.

Nathan pushed himself upright, breath ragged, boots slipping on blood-slick stone.

“We have time,” he said. “We retreat for now.”

He lunged for his sword.

Kieran moved.

Fast.

Nathan reacted on instinct. He spun, steel ringing as he knocked Kieran’s blade aside in a hard, ugly clash. The sword skidded across the stone, sparks snapping as it slid away.

Shock flickered across Kieran’s face before something uglier set in.

“You’d fight me?” Kieran demanded.

Nathan didn’t answer.

Because this wasn’t Kieran.

The certainty cut through the panic.

It couldn’t be him.

Kieran recovered his blade.

Nathan raised his.

“You’ll regret this,” Kieran said.

“I won’t,” Nathan replied.

Kieran stepped back.

Meru followed.

They retreated together.

Leaving Nathan alone with Zam.

The monsters were almost on him now.

Nathan set his feet.

He could make out two of the snake-things ahead of him, more shapes shifting behind them.

This isn’t real.
It can’t be.
Right?

The first creature reached him and lunged.

Nathan met it head-on. He stepped inside its reach and drove his blade up in a desperate, lucky thrust, straight into its open mouth and deep into the soft palate above.

The creature shrieked.

Nathan wrenched the sword free as it recoiled.

The second surged from his left.

“Fuck you,” he snarled.

He swung.

A pincer slammed into his thigh. Pain flared hot and immediate, nearly buckling his leg.

Two more closed in.

The first came back around and lunged again.

Nathan blocked.

The impact jarred his arms. His grip failed.

His sword snapped back into his face with a sickening crack. Heat exploded across his vision. Something warm and sticky poured down over his eyes and mouth.

“I’m not leaving him,” Nathan gasped.

He couldn't see.

He swiped at his eyes.

"Sorry, Zam."

They swarmed him.

Pain tore through him, sharp and consuming. He tasted blood as it filled his mouth, thick and coppery.

“Nathan.”

The voice wasn’t in the corridor.

It was inside his head.

Everything went black.

***

“Nathan.”

The voice was distant.
Muffled.

Like it was coming through water.

“Nathan.”

Cal.

Nathan’s eyes snapped open.

He sucked in a sharp breath and lurched upright, chest heaving as he dragged air into his lungs.

“The fuck!”

His hands flew over himself, frantic. Chest. Arms. Legs.

No blood.
Nothing missing.
His clothes weren’t even torn.

He felt fine.

“Nathan,” Cal said again.

“Cal?”

“Nathan!” Cal exclaimed. “I was so worried! You suddenly collapsed.”

“Collapsed?”

“Yes,” Cal said. “I’ve been trying to revive you.”

“You… sound like you.”

“I am me, Nathan.”

A notification flashed.

[ Title Bestowed: Resolute Protector ]

Reason: Demonstrated self-sacrifice in order to save another.

Title?

[ Passive Skill Unlocked: Communal Wellbeing ]
[ Effect: You may absorb part of an ally’s mental strain. ]

“That’s new, effect description…” Nathan said, still feeling disoriented.

He shook his head and looked around.

The corridor.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except for the others.

Kieran lay a few feet away on his stomach, unmoving. Meru was slumped against the wall, his staff loosely in his grip. Zam was sprawled on his side, intact, breathing steadily.

Nathan scrambled to Zam first.

No blood.

All of his limbs were where they should be.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Cal, when? When did we collapse?”

“It’s been approximately ten minutes or so.”

“Ten minutes?!” Nathan nearly shouted. “Only ten minutes?”

“Yes.”

“What was the last thing that happened?”

“Kieran said, ‘Does anyone smell that?’” Cal said. “Then—”

“The flower smell…”

“You all started collapsing. Flower smell?”

“Yeah, what was that? A hallucination?”

“Yes, there is most likely a powerful monster on this level.”

Nathan nodded.

He shook Zam’s shoulder. “Hey. Zam. Wake up.”

Nothing.

He moved to Kieran and then to Meru.

Unresponsive.

He slumped.

“They are sleeping,” Cal replied. “They will wake like you did.”

“Not sleeping,” Nathan corrected. “They’re in a nightmare.”

Nathan looked over them, chest tight.

They were still in it.

That hallucination.

Each of them.

Still making choices.

Some trial or test.

He glanced at Meru, unease twisting low in his gut.

Then he moved back to Kieran.

“Can they die in there?” Nathan asked.

“It is possible,” Cal said. “If they fail to meet the condition.”

Nathan exhaled slowly.

Please don’t fail.

“I knew it wasn’t real,” he whispered. “I knew that wasn’t you, Kieran.”

He straightened and looked at his interface again.

He looked at his new passive skill.

The effect description.

Absorb mental strain?

“How?” he muttered.

Hint: Stay close to your party.

“Stay close?”

Okay.

Nathan dragged them closer together, laying them in a row.

He placed their weapons into his inventory.

Then he sat.

Something hit a moment later.

Pain flared behind his eyes, sudden enough to make him blink.

His stomach turned.

When he shifted, his limbs responded slowly, heavier than they should have been.

Nathan sucked in a breath and stayed where he was.

Kieran drew in a sharp breath and sat up fast.

Nathan flinched.

Kieran turned to see Nathan sitting behind him.

"Morning?"

Kieran jumped to his feet and backed away from Nathan, his hand going to his scabbard.

He patted the empty scabbard.

Then looked down and back at Nathan.

"My sword."

“Easy,” Nathan said, hands up. “It was fake.”

Kieran's eyes flicked down the corridor, then back, scanning for a threat that wasn’t there.

His gaze snapped to Nathan again. “Who are you?”

“I’m Nathan.”

“Fake?”

“A hallucination.”

"Let's just chill out, take a breath," Nathan said as calmly as he could muster.

To his surprise, Kieran actually did seem to relax.

"You sound like you again."

"Yup, it's me, Nathan."

Kieran looked at the others. "And them?"

"They haven't woken up yet."

Kieran stared for a moment longer and then nodded.

"Retrieve Trunk," Nathan said. "Retrieve Trunk One."

Each trunk materialized.

"Glad that works now," Nathan said. "Find some food or something while we wait."

"Okay."

Kieran pulled out water and some food.

A few moments later Zam stirred, blinking blearily, confusion written across his face. "Meru was really weird."

"I'm sure he was, I'll explain once he wakes up," Nathan said, and added, "I'm really glad you're okay, Zam."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Zam sat up.

Kieran shoved jerky in his hand.

Meru finally woke up, slower to move, expression unreadable.

Nathan was more worried about his reaction than he had been about the others.

Maybe we won't talk about what happened in his.

They ate, hydrated, and woke up a little more.

Their chatter stayed light.
Familiar.
Careful.

Zam spoke the most. Stories from home, told a little louder than necessary.

No one tried to put words to what they’d seen in their hallucinations.

When they felt steady enough, Nathan returned everyone’s weapons.

They stood.
Stretched.
Nodded to one another.

“Let’s move out,” Kieran said.

Nathan held his breath.

A small part of him still wondered if he was stuck in the hallucination.

Kieran turned, met Nathan’s eyes, and gave him a faint smile before taking point.

Nathan finally exhaled.

Definitely real this time.

Meru fell in just behind Kieran.

Zam dropped into step beside Nathan.

He glanced over.
Zam flashed him a wide, toothy grin.

I missed you guys.

Nathan laughed.

“What?” Zam asked.

“I’m just happy.”

“Oh.” Zam looked forward again. “I’ll be happy when we get out of this damn dungeon.”

“True that,” Nathan said.

They didn’t make it far before the corridor finally split.

Real intersections.
Actual branches.

No more endless corridor.

Nathan felt an immediate, ridiculous surge of relief.

His map was clear now, too.

No fog.

He could see the route ahead.

Still no dots, though.
No traps.
No enemies.

Even when the enemies came.

They didn’t appear on the map at all.

Dozens at first.

They poured out of side passages that hadn’t existed moments earlier. Twisted shapes, half-formed and wrong, moving with purpose instead of instinct.

Nathan was glad for the side passages.

The map worried him.

No notifications.
No enemy designation.
No threat assessment.
No warnings.

“Cal?” he asked sharply.

“I do not register hostiles, Nathan,” Cal said.

That didn’t stop the first one from slamming into Kieran.

Seems real enough.

“What does that mean?” Nathan demanded.

“Lance,” Kieran said.

His sword extended.

The creature was sliced in half and vanished before it hit the ground.
Then another.
Then three more.

The first wave fell fast, blades and spells tearing through misshapen bodies.

Nathan felt it click.

The timing.
The spacing.
The way they moved without speaking.

I really, really missed you guys.

Then the next group came in wider.

Not rushing.
Flanking.

One slipped past Kieran’s guard and slammed into him shoulder-first.

Another lunged for Zam, forcing him back a step.

“Spread out,” Nathan said. “Don’t let them box us in.”

He checked the map again on instinct.

Still nothing.

No markers.
No change.

“Cal,” he said, tighter now. “If they’re illusions, why do they keep adjusting?”

“They are responding to observed behavior,” Cal replied. “Their form is not fixed.”

So they’re watching.

Meru shattered one with a sharp spell. Another immediately stepped into its place, filling the gap without hesitation.

“They’re learning,” Nathan said.

The corridor felt narrower as more shapes poured from the side passages, forcing them back together.

Nathan tightened his grip.

Then we stop teaching them.

“Okay,” he muttered. “We don’t chase.”

They shifted.

No overextending.
No reacting.

They held formation, cutting down anything that crossed the line, moving only when the pressure eased.

The change was immediate.

The creatures came apart easier.
Faster.

As if they lost cohesion the moment the party stopped caring how they moved.

The horde thinned, leaving empty corridor behind and the faint sense of being watched.

Nathan exhaled.

His map was still clear.

As they continued forward, greater numbers of monsters attacked.

It stopped feeling like a threat.

Soon the four of them were walking in a loose line, letting Meru lead and clear the corridor ahead.

They even started chatting a little.

Nothing ever came from their rear.

Eventually, the hordes of shadowy monsters stopped.

A single, massive red dot appeared on Nathan’s map.

“Whoa,” Nathan said. “We’ve got a live one.”

“What?” the others asked in unison.

“In a chamber up ahead,” Nathan said. “An enemy just showed up on the map.”

Their grips tightened.

The chatter died.

Two minutes later, they reached the chamber and stepped inside.

***

Something hovered in the middle of the chamber.

It spoke.

A low, amused voice slid through the space like sand through fingers.

“Well done,” it said.

“It talked?” Nathan asked. “That’s new.”

The creature resolved fully this time.

Tall.
Lean.
Horns. A tail.

Its outline wavered, edges blurring, as though it couldn’t quite decide what it wanted to be.

Human-shaped.

A notification flashed.

[ Level 55: Illusionist ]
Attribute: Highly intelligent trickster. Can lure prey into a dreamlike state.

Nathan felt a rush of pure, unfiltered relief.

Finally.
Something real.

“Hey, this one—” Nathan started.

“This one’s real,” Meru said quietly.

“Way to steal my thunder.”

“I’m Sugannach,” it said, its voice layered and warped. It smiled.

“Your name?” Nathan asked.

“Yes,” Sugannach replied.

“Weird,” Nathan said. “We’re still going to murder the fuck out of you.”

“Yes,” Kieran said, already moving. “Let’s kill it and be done.”

“So eager,” Sugannach purred. “You may have destroyed my legions of illusions, but how about this?”

“Sir,” Nathan warned. “Let’s come up with a plan.”

Kieran stopped.
Waited.
The others did too.

Nathan let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

The air shimmered.

Sugannach became Meru.

One.

Then another.

Three Merus stood where there had been one.

A Kieran followed.

Then they split.

There were hundreds.

Merus.
Kierans.

They were laughing.

All of them.

Somewhere in the horde, the red dot pulsed.

Zam swore under his breath.

Nathan’s stomach dropped.

“Find me,” Sugannach crooned from everywhere at once. “The original. Or die tired.”

“Won’t be hard,” Nathan said. “I can still see your dot. You can’t hide from me.”

He took control.

Called directions.
Adjusted spacing.
Kept them moving.

The copies were tougher than he expected.

Kieran and Meru were dangerous opponents to start with.

Fighting dozens at the same time was worse.

Meru’s copies wielded staffs of their own, spells flaring as readily as the original’s.

Kieran’s used mana and carried replicated augment blades.

None of them were as powerful as the real thing.
There were just so many of them.

They replenished at an alarming rate, stepping into gaps the moment one fell.

Even knowing where the real one was, reaching it took effort.

Nathan forced himself to strike when every instinct screamed not to.

Cutting down Meru’s face.

Meeting Kieran’s eyes and driving steel through his chest.

Each blow twisted something deep inside him.

He tried not to look at them.

The copies burst apart wrong.
Smoke.
Nothing.

Nathan’s hands were shaking when he finally felt the shift.

He hated what it demanded of him.

He knew the others did too.

Then he caught sight of Kieran cutting down his own clones without hesitation.

Clean.
Efficient.

Nathan’s resolve hardened.

Closer now.

“Meru, cut a path on the left!”

“Happy to oblige,” Meru said, lifting his staff.

“Obliteration Hailstorm.”

The clones in its path evaporated, unable to replenish fast enough.

A single Meru remained at the back.

“There!” Nathan shouted. “Forward! Now!”

Sugannach lifted off the ground, trying to retreat.

They surged.

“Lance!” Kieran roared.

“Straight shot,” Meru said.

Zam and Nathan held the line, cutting down anything that tried to close the gap.

Sugannach screamed as steel and spell struck together, its illusion collapsing inward.

The clones vanished.

“Not so tough once you’re revealed, huh?” Nathan yelled.

“Curse you!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nathan said. “Die already.”

Sugannach vanished.

Nathan turned toward the others.

“Well,” he said, forcing a grin, “that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“It wasn’t good,” Zam said finally.

Nathan shrugged. “Yeah. True.”

The notifications started.

[ +70 XP Earned ]
[ +50 Party XP ]
[ Tactical Coordination Bonus Applied ]

"Damn," Nathan said.

The others gathered around him.

[ New Skill Acquired: Mental Fortitude ]
[ Passive Skill Unlocked: Anchored Mind ]
[ Effect: Reduced impact from illusion and psychological interference. Maintains clarity and tactical awareness under mental strain. ]
[ Party Sync: Strength Teamwork Bonus +10 ]
[ Bravery +3 ]
[ Integrity +5 ]

[ Communal Wellbeing Reward: Skills can be shared with all party members for a limited time ]

"Even me?" Zam asked.

"Sounds like it," Nathan said. "We'll figure that out later."

[ Rank Advancement Available ]
[ Promotion: Bronze → Steel Adept ]
[ Steel Tier Progress Initialized: 62% ]

“We’re steel now!” Zam cheered.

“Yup,” Nathan said. “Moving right along.”

“The M.C. Tourney isn’t out of the question now,” Meru said softly.

“You aren’t in our party,” Nathan said.

Meru blinked. “Are you saying you don’t consider me part of the party yet?” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I’m hurt.”

Nathan looked at Kieran.

Kieran shrugged. “It’s up to you.”

Of course it is.

Nathan closed his eyes. Opened them.

“Meru,” he said, “wouldn’t that mean your party rank becomes steel, too?”

“I don’t mind that,” Meru said easily.

Nathan crossed his arms.

I said I’d never let him join.
He’s done a lot for us.
Still has a shitty personality.

He glanced at Meru.

Meru was watching him closely.

“Are you honestly still deciding?” Meru huffed.
“I’m the most powerful mage in the world, you know.”

Nathan exhaled.

“Fine.”

“How wonderful.” Meru smiled.

“But,” Nathan added flatly, “there will be conditions.”

Meru’s smile faltered. Just a little.

“We’re signing a new contract.”

“Oh,” Meru said slowly. “I don’t love the sound of that.”

Nathan held his stare.

“Sure,” Meru said at last, raising his arms in mock defeat. “Whatever you say, Variable.”

For a moment, none of them moved.

Then Nathan let out a slow breath.

“You know,” he said, voice flat, “that was probably one of the shittiest floors we’ve ever encountered.”

He meant it.

Another notification appeared.

[ Floor Reward: Mana Core ]

A glowing white sphere materialized in the air before them.

No one touched it.

[ Mana Access: Pending... ]

Nathan stilled.

Pending.
Like it was thinking it over.

[ New Status: Limited mana access granted ]

Nathan stared at the message.

“Nathan,” Cal said. “Your status has changed.”

“Yeah,” Nathan said. “Limited?”

“Yes,” Cal replied.

Nathan glanced at the hovering core.

“I can touch the mana core?”

“Yes.”

It was smaller than he’d imagined.

He reached for it.

The moment he made contact, he absorbed it.

“I’ve never seen that before,” Meru said.

The mana moved slowly. Filtered. Thin.
Like water pushed through too many layers of cloth.

Weak.

Nathan frowned.

Nothing like a mote.

Nothing like Bob.

“This is…” he muttered.

“Training mana,” Cal supplied.

Nathan exhaled.

Figures.

He held out his hand.

Rope.

A thin, sluggish construct emerged.

Might be weak, but I've got mana again.

He retracted it and smiled.

Zam jumped. “What is that?”

“Where did it come from?” Meru asked, leaning forward.

“I’ll explain later.”

Before he could sit with the realization, a portal opened.

“See,” Nathan said smugly. “Last floor.”

“Thank the stars,” Zam said. “Let’s go.”

Zam went through first.

Then Meru.

Kieran gestured for Nathan to go first.

Nathan nodded and stepped through.

It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the sunlight.

He was standing at the dungeon entrance, on the platform at the top of the steps.

Kieran emerged behind him.

The portal closed.

An entrance guard had already approached Meru, his face lit up.

A party that looked ready to enter the dungeon hovered nearby.

“…Heard all sorts of levels opened up,” the man babbled. “You cleared the whole dungeon, Mr. Oglivos.”

Nathan scanned the area.

Another guard was already running toward the tents.

He looked back toward Meru.

People had already gathered around him. Asking questions. Praising his dungeon run.

Meru accepted it all with mild tolerance, his practiced smile firmly in place.

Nathan, Kieran, and Zam were gently but firmly edged aside, bodies redirected by momentum and attention that wasn’t meant for them.

Completely ignored.

I almost forgot about this.

“Crazy,” Nathan muttered. “It’s like we don’t even exist.”

The guard who had run toward the tents was already returning, this time with an even larger group.

Fuck that.

Nathan turned to Kieran and Zam. “Let’s go find some food.”

“I could definitely eat,” Zam said.

“Me too,” Kieran added.

They started down the steps.

The man at the front of the new entourage hurried forward, face alight with barely restrained excitement.

“Mr. Meruuuu.”

The guild manager who had explained everything before they entered the dungeon.

This guy again.

He reached the platform, praise layering over praise, questions tumbling out in rapid succession.

“Pardon,” Meru said pleasantly. “I’d like to follow my party.”

Nathan flinched.

He’d just stepped off the last stair.

He turned.

The entire crowd had gone quiet.

Every eye was on them.

No one contradicted Meru.

They simply parted, allowing him through, then fell in behind him.

Meru reached Nathan and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Trying to abandon me?”

“I didn’t think you remembered we existed,” Nathan said.

“Nonsense,” Meru laughed.

The manager immediately reclaimed Meru’s attention.

Nathan started walking again.

Kieran and Zam fell into step beside him.

Nathan slowed them and motioned subtly to the side.

“Let’s just follow the group,” he said. “Bet they’re taking him to food.”

“Clever,” Zam said.

Meru was ushered toward a large tent just beyond the entrance.

They followed behind the entourage, slipping past the remaining crowd who weren’t allowed inside.

A guard nearly stopped them, but a guild associate who had clearly been paying attention tapped his shoulder.

They were waved through.

Nathan let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

He spotted their spoils immediately and glanced at the others.

“Guys?”

Kieran and Zam were already looking.

A long buffet table stretched along one side of the tent.

Hot food.
Delicious smells.
Delectable presentation.

“Shall we?”

Kieran nodded once and headed for it without a word.

“That looks incredible,” Zam said, already following.

Nathan lingered a moment longer.

Meru had already been surrounded again.

He snorted quietly, then followed Kieran and Zam toward the food.

Another notification flashed.

“Nathan,” Cal said softly. “I’m sorry.”

“What?”

Nathan read the first line.

His stomach tightened.

[ Quest Completed: Rennick Dungeon ]
[ Overall Progress: 15% ]
[ Milestone: All Levels Completed ]

[ New quest and objectives updated after reward ]

“Sir!” Nathan said sharply, waving Kieran over.

Kieran joined him.

The next text appeared.

**Quest Completion Reward**
Story Mode Memory Retrieval One Year Later: Life in Zone Three
Note: Emotional transference will occur

“Yup.”

It said exactly what he’d expected.

Nathan looked at Kieran.

“Fuck,” was all he managed.

Kieran opened his mouth.

Nathan didn’t hear him.

Kieran vanished.

Nathan stood in what looked like the lobby of a fancy office tower, waiting in line.